August 29, 2008

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Petzal on Palin: Who Thought McCain was That Smart?

Governor Palin is almost too good to be true. She is a lifelong hunter, a Life Member of the NRA, a dedicated jock, mother of a soldier who will be deployed to Iraq next month, a person who actually knows something about oil exploration, and perhaps most important, an Alaska Republican who is serious about honesty in public office. The odds on finding one of these are about the same as finding an honest Democratic politician from New Jersey. Her only drawback seems to be her background in journalism, but then no one is perfect.

I know very few people, including Repubicans, who are enthusiastic about John McCain. He seems to be tolerated only as an alternative to Obama*, who is intolerable to gun owners. There I was, prepared to hold back my rising gorge and vote for Old John M. and whatever lame hack he selected as Veep, and here he comes up with someone that I can actually be enthusiastic about from any number of standpoints, never mind guns and hunting. I wish Senator McCain and Governor Palin all success.

*About last night’s speech: I didn’t watch it. I have been leery of speeches since I watched John F. Kennedy’s inaugural in January 1961, when he promised that we would pay any cost, bear any burden, and oppose any foe in the defense of freedom. What we got was Vietnam. The only truly prophetic part of the Inaugural was when the lectern caught on fire; there was a sign if ever there was one. Speeches are theatre, nothing more. Perhaps the only honest one in history was Lincoln’s Second Inaugural, in which he said, essentially, “You wanted a war and you got it. How do you like it?”

Comments

Exactly!
Her speech was excellent, and easy to watch, as opposed to the dreck we've had to watch all this last week.
She didn't make empty promises, nor run down her opponents or the country.
You can see what she believes and stands for, not what she might be willing to say to win a few votes.
I am enthused and inpressed.
She and her husband can share my duck blind anytime!
johnl

She's the BEST. (and I am one who never liked the idea of the working woman) Reminds me of the days in the Good Book, when women became prophets, when there were no men qualified! Maybe another M. Thatcher? I hope so....

Already posted my thoughts in the previous topic, but can't resist an amen on all points. Palin was my favorite all along, but I never thought McCain would bring her on. My respect for the old soldier has just risen exponentially, and I too am relieved I can go to the polls now to vote for something more than the lesser of two evils.

I think she is a brilliant choice, really. McCain wasn't going to get far with the "lack of experience" argument against Obama anyway (people are looking for fresh voices and change, remember?) so that's a wash. She's smart, she's able, she's someone that millions of moms can relate to and connect with, she's an outsider, she puts a new face on the Republican party. She's a life member of the NRA, her husband is a licensed commercial fisherman, her son is shipping out for Iraq next month - I was stunned and pleasantly surprised when I turned on the news this morning. Obama claims he's for change and picks a 30-year Washington insider as a running mate. McCain is accused of being "the same old thing" and picks a fresh face, and a woman to boot. Brilliant choice!

Mike Reeder,
I suspect there are MANY who agree with your last sentence.
Well said.

just a p.s., how much more of a Washington "outsider" could we ask for?
No family political history, just hard-working family oriented folks wanting to do the right thing.
I just feel sorry for her having to go to D.C.

Oh, and almost forgot.
Remember when the media made such a big deal about Obama's basketball skills?
Well, Governor Palin was part of a state championship team. She'd kick his butt.
Love to see a two-on-two game between those four.

I honestly didn't think McCain had an actual chance in hell of winning the election before this. (I"m definitly not for Obama, he who condemened the people of Alaska for not caring about economic issues because they are too self reliant, fricken looter)
But this was a move of pure polical genious, I have a very d liberal democrat friend ( she is a staunch Hillary supporter) who said that she probably waswn't goin to vote for the first time in her adult life because she didn't like Obama, I talked to her today and now she is actually contemplating voting for McCAin because of this, think of how many other liberal women out there will vote the McCain ticket because he put a women on it, its seriously going to come down (in my opinion) to who has more clout the womens vote, or the black vote.
By the way I'm not voting for McCain even though I really like Palin, but I can't cast my vote based on the person whos job it is to wait for the President to die, and to break a tie vote in the senate. I just disagree with McCain to much. I"ll be voting for Bob Barr of the Libertarian party. And honestly other than the gun issue there is not much difference in thier policys, just the retorhic.

ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME? AN EX-JOCK PIECE OF EYE CANDY WITH NO EXPERIENCE WHO DIVIDES HER TIME BETWEEN POPPING OUT KIDS AND PONTIFICATING MORAL INDIGINATION OF THOSE WHO DON"T SHARE HER VIEWS? CAN YOU SAY OBAMA BY A LANDSLIDE? LOAD EXTRA AMMO AND START CACHING YOUR GUNS NOW!!!!!

What a outstanding choice McCain has made. Not only is this gal hardworking, not a career politian,and a active outdoors woman with a small business owning husband and family; she is also not very hard on the eyes. She looked way better in a skirt than Hillary ever looked in a pants suit!!

Yes, Palin is definitely pretty enough to be called eye candy. And her resume looks a little thinner than might be ideal, but that's the funny part. She actually has more experience than Obama, and he's at the TOP of his ticket. He was a lawyer, activist, state and US Senator: in short, an advocate, not a manager/ executive/ leader. As far as we know, he's never led a boy scout troop. Also, don't fall for this part-time mayor routine they are already laying on her; all Obama's public positions except US Senator were part-time jobs,too. In terms of experience the bottom of our ticket is more qualified than the top of theirs. If you want to cache some guns, go ahead; it'll make room in your safe for some new ones. But be brave; Palin is a good thing.

Women are now the majority. McCain has chosen one that will not only steal votes away from the Democrats because of her "minority" status but that will bring back the hard line right wingers who see him as a flip flopping centrist which she is not. Absolutely brilliant strategy for a pleasant change, and I hate almost everyone but she's my kind of girl.

Brilliant choice, absolutely outstanding! If we can't get behind this ticket now, we deserve what we might get with B. Hussein Obama. The potential VP and myself are the same age and it's very nice to see that people of our generation are moving into the limelight. It's time to move into condition orange, people. Take no prisoners.

I don't think you understood Scared's post. What I think he means is that while this pick is exciting for most people here, they were probably going to vote for McCain anyway. However, there are certain aspects of the Palin pick that may turn into fodder for democratic criticism (as we have already seen today). It is a big gamble, and I don't personally have any problem with it, but it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

It is more important to me to vote my morals and values than to sell them out to be on the "winning side", I strongly disagree with both McCain and Obama, on my most important issues Economics, Foriegn Policy, and most importantly understanding Federalism and the Constitution. As for the gun issue, didn't the Supreme Court just rule on Heller, as far as the way people feel about the Godliness of the SUPREME COURT thats gonna stand for a good while. So sir I must strongly disagree with you on your theory of throwing away a vote, I would be throwing away my vote, to vote against my values? I sir do not sell out my values!

Its also thinking like this which is what got us into this mess in the first place of having to choose between McCain and 'Bama, how many of you can honestly admit you were excited to hear McCain got the nomination? The more people vote for third parties the more prevalent they get, how do you think the Republican party got started in the first place, Lincoln who was the first Republican was origionally a Whig, while he was in office in Illinios. All we get now are chices between Republicrats and Democans. Hopefully in my lifetime I will get a real choice!

Well, I can see this viewpoint isn't going to make me popular but what the hell.

I am simply sick and tired of candidates who claim to be hunters and NRA members and then exploit the hell out of our available hunting land for energy exploration. Which is worse having our firearms banned or not having any place to hunt? Wasn't the lack of hunting land THE issue that is currently facing new hunters? Can't we have just a few pristine areas left without drilling the crap out of it? When that land is gone it's gone and its never going to come back.

Frankly, I never felt that either party has represented my interests as a hunter. The NRA pimps us out to pro-hunting candidates who in turn exploit hunting land out west to oil exploration. I guess that insignificant point slipped their minds.

Yes, we need to drill but anyone who thinks that we can drill ourselves out of the oil crisis is living in a fools paradise.